Report highlights ignorance of care

Almost half of people with a severe mental illness who use services
do not know whether they have a care plan, according to research
from charity Rethink.

Just One Per Cent, a survey of more than 3,000 service
users, found that more than one in four people with mental health
problems were shunned when they sought help while more than a third
did not have any written information about their mental health
problem, local services or treatment options.

A fifth did not know how to access out-of-hours help and more than
one in three said that their main priority would be medicines with
fewer side-effects. Overall just one in a 100 were happy with their
current quality of life.

“We urge the government to ensure every service user has a legal
right to care and treatment and is listened to and involved in
decision-making,” said Cliff Prior, the charity’s chief
executive.

Rethink believes that service users should be able to speak to a
mental health or social care professional on request, and get
immediate help in a crisis. In addition they should be involved in
the drawing up of a care plan and receive a written copy.

– See Just One Per Cent from www.rethink.org/research/index.html

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